Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02513993 2005-07-27
TITLE: MODULAR WEAPONS LOCKER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to lockers for locking up firearms.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many organizations such as the military, police or other paramilitary
organizations must
store a quantity of weapons and firearms on premises. In order to maintain a
safe environment
and to comply with various gun control laws, it is usually required that the
firearms be stored in a
secure gun locker. Various gun lockers are available on the market. They
generally include a
cabinet with a locking door and one or more supports for holding the firearms.
While these gun
cabinets are useful in storing and safeguarding dangerous weapons, they are
often awkward to
use since different sized weapons cannot often be stored in a single cabinet.
Also, they cannot
provide a quick means of visually inspecting the weapons without opening the
cabinet and
therefore "un-securing" the weapons. This makes taking an inventory of weapons
more difficult.
An improved weapons locker which permits neat and easy storing of a variety of
different
weapons and which makes weapons inspection easy is therefore required.
SLJIvIMARY OF 'THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a storage locker
for storing firearms
of different sizes is disclosed. The storage locker consists of a housing
having a back wall, side
walls, a top, a bottom and an open front defining an interior. An inner door
is pivotally attached
CA 02513993 2005-07-27
to the housing and pivotally movable between an open position and a closed
position wherein the
inner door closes off the open front. The locker has a lock for locking the
inner door in its closed
position. The locker has a mounting wall attached to the housing inside the
interior, the
mounting wall having a plurality of first apertures evenly spaced along a
front face of the
mounting wall. The locker also has a plurality of firearm mounting racks, each
rack having a
mounting member with tab portions for mounting to the mounting wall by hanging
the tabs on
the apertures.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to
those skilled
in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the
invention is herein
described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof,
which includes a
description of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the
present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1. is an isometric view of a weapons storage locker system made in
accordance with the
invention in its fully opened position.
FIGURE 2. is an isometric view of the back wall portion of the weapons storage
locker shown in
figure 1.
FIGURE 3. is an isometric view of the inner door portion of the weapons
storage locker shown in
figure 1.
FIGURE 4. is an isometric view of a gun stock rack for use in the storage
locker system shown in
figure 1.
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FIGURE 5. is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of a gun stock rack
for use in the
storage locker system shown in figure I .
FIGURE 6a. is an isometric view of a gun barrel rack for use in the storage
locker system shown
in figure 1.
FIGURE 6b, is an isometric view of a gun barrel rack for use in the storage
locker system shown
in figure 1.
FIGURE 7 is an isometric view of an item storage rack for use in the storage
locker system
shown in figure 1.
FIGURE 8 is an isometric view of an item storage rack for use in the storage
locker system
shown in figure 1.
FIGURE 9 is an isometric view of the floor portion of the storage locker
system shown in figure
1.
FIGURE 10a is an isometric view of a horizontal gun stock rack for use in the
storage locker
system shown in figure 1.
FIGURE I Ob is an isometric view of a horizontal gun barrel rack for use in
the storage locker
system shown in figure 1.
FIGURE 11 is an exploded view of an vertical barrel rack being attached to the
back wall portion
of the storage locker system shown in figure 1.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
the different
figures.
CA 02513993 2005-07-27
DETATLED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring firstly to figure 1, the present invention is a modular storage
locker or safe for
storing and securing firearms and weapons. The storage locker, shown generally
as item 10,
consists of a strong rigid steel housing 12 having interior 13, side walls 14,
back wall 16, top
wall 18, bottom 20 and open front 22. Open front 22 is provided with door 24
which is pivotally
attached to side wall 14 and is dimensioned and configured to close off open
front 22 when the
door is pivoted into a fully closed position. Door 24 should be provided with
a locking
mechanism 25 for locking the door closed. Several suitable locking mechanisms
are available on
the market. Door 24 consists of two separate doors, namely outer door 26 and
inner door 28.
Both outer door 26 and inner door 28 are pivotally attached to housing 12 to
permit the doors to
be swung between an open and closed position. Outer door 26 is preferably
configured as a solid
sheet, which when locked in its closed position, prevents any entry into
housing 12. Inner door
28 is preferably a screen door which is made sufficiently strong to prevent
forced entry into
housing 12 when the inner door is locked closed, but which has numerous small
openings
permitting a visual inspection of the contents of housing 12 when the outer
door is opened.
Withing housing 12 is bottom rest 34 and mounting wall 30. Bottom rest 34 is
mounted
within housing 12 above bottom 20. Mounting wall 30 has numerous mounting
apertures 32
which permit the mounting of various brackets and racks to the mounting wall.
Numerous racks
and brackets are attached to mounting wall 30 such as vertical gun stock rack
36, horizontal gun
racks 38 and 39, vertical barrel racks 40a and 40b and brackets 42. As more
particularly
explained later in the application, the various brackets and racks are simply
mounted to mounting
wall 30 by mounting screws. This makes it easy to re-arrange the position and
orientation of the
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various racks and brackets in order to tailor the storage locker for a
particular assortment of
firearms.
Referring now to figures 6a and 6b, a typical rack or bracket for mounting in
the locker
will have a vertical wall 44 for mounting to the mounting wall of the locker.
Vertical wall 44
will have upper tab 46 and lower tab 48 and aperture 50 positioned between
tabs 46 and 48. As
better seen in figure 11, bracket 40a may be attached to mounting wall 30 by
simply positioning
tabs 46 and 48 within apertures 32 in order to hang the bracket to the
mounting wall. Tabs 46
and 48 cling to lower lips 39 of apertures 32. Aperture 50 is positioned
between tabs 46 and 48
so as to align with apertures 35 on mounting wall 30, thereby permitting
vertical wall 44 to be
secured to mounting wall 30 by mounting screw 52 which screws into apertures
50 and 35. This
makes mounting a bracket to mounting wall 30 very simple. Apertures 32 and 35
are equally
spaced along mounting wall 30, therefore any type of bracket or rack component
may be attached
to the mounting wall provided the bracket or rack component has a
corresponding pair of tabs
and a centrally positioned aperture.
Referring now to figure 2, mounting wall 30 consists of a flat sheet of steel
having a
surface 41 upon which are formed a series of parallel rows of equally spaced
apart apertures 32
and 35. Brackets 33 permit mounting wall 30 to be mounted to back wall 16 of
housing 12 (see
figure 1 ).
Referring now to figure 3, inner door 28 is preferably formed from a steel
sheet 43
mounted within frame 45. Steel sheet 43 has a plurality of apertures 47 formed
thereon to
transform the sheet into a strong screen. Apertures 47 are dimensioned to be
too small to insert a
finger or small object, but large enough to permit a user to visually inspect
what is on the other
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side of the screen. Frame 45 should be provided with a lock mechanism 25 for
securely locking
the screen door in place.
Referring now to figure 4, a vertical gun stock rack for use with the weapons
storage
locker will consist of a flat horizontal sheet 49 having webs 54. Sheet 49 and
webs 54 attach to a
back vertical wall 56. As in all the other racks to be used with the weapons
storage locker,
vertical wall 56 has tabs 58 and 60 and apertures 62. Sheet 49 has a plurality
of gun stock
retaining grooves 51 dimensioned and configured to receive the stock portion
of a rifle or shot
gun (not shown). Sleeves 52 may be mounted withing grooves 51 to protect the
gun stock.
Referring now to figure 5, an alternate vertical gun stock rack 64 is shown.
Gun stock
rack 64 has flat sheet 66 with grooves 67 formed thereon. Sheet 66 is mounted
to vertical wall
70 by web portions 68. Vertical wall 70 has a plurality of tabs 72 and 74 and
apertures 76. Rack
64 is provided with floor board 78 which is mounted to sheet 66. Grooves 67
are dimensioned to
receive the stock portions of a short rifle or shot gun (not shown) and floor
board 78 forms a rest
upon which the butt of the rifle or shot guns (not shown) may rest. Rack 64 is
particularly useful
1 S for use with shorter length rifles or shot guns which are to be stored in
a vertical orientation.
Referring back to figures 6a and 6b, gun barrel racks 40a and 40b should be
used if rifles
or shotguns are to be stored vertically in the weapons locker. Racks 40a and
40b have brackets
80 and 82, respectively, with grooves 84 formed thereon. Grooves 84 are
dimensioned to receive
the gun barrel portion of a rifle or shot gun (not shown). Sleeves 86 may be
provided to prevent
damage to the gun barrel.
Referring now to figure 7, bracket 42 may be used to store handguns (not
shown) or
ammunition (not shown) in the weapons locker. Bracket 42 consists of a housing
86 attached to
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vertical wall 88. Vertical wall 88 has tabs 90 and 92 and apertures 94.
Housing 86 is
dimensioned to receive the items to be stored. Similarly, figure 8 shows a
different sized storage
bracket 96 having housing 98 attached to vertical wall 100. Tabs 102 and 104
and aperture 106
are formed on vertical wall 100. Housing 98 is dimensioned to receive the item
to be stored (not
shown).
Referring now to figure 9, a sliding shelf unit 106 may also be mounted within
the
weapons locker. Shelf unit 106 consists of a shelf 108 slidingly attached to
mounting brackets
110 and 112 my means known generally in the art. Brackets 110 and 112 have
vertical walls
114, upon which are formed tabs 116 and apertures 118.
Referring now to figures 10a and l Ob, it is often necessary to store shorter
rifles or shot
guns (not shown) in a horizontal orientation. Racks 38 and 39 are used to
store fire arms in a
horizontal orientation. Gun stock rack 39 consists of a flat sheet of steel
120 having grooves 124
formed thereon. Sheet 120 is mounted to vertical wall 130 which has tabs 132
and 134 formed
thereon. Grooves 124 are dimensioned to receive the stock or butt portion of
the firearm (not
1 S shown). Sleeves 126 are provided to protect the firearm. Rack 38 is formed
from sheet 136
which has grooves 138 formed thereon. Sheet 136 is mounted to vertical wall
142 which has
tabs 144 and aperture 146. Vertical wall and sheet 136 may be made from a
single piece of
metal. Grooves 138 are dimensioned to receive the barrel portion of the
firearm. Grooves 124
on sheet 120 and grooves 138 on sheet 136 are dimensioned and configured such
that grooves
124 are aligned with grooves 13 8 when the racks are mounted within the
weapons locker. T'he
firearms (not shown) are stored horizontally within the racks by placing the
firearms with the
aligned grooves.
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Referring back to figure 1, the combination of mounting wall 30 with multiple
racks and
brackets permits the user to design the storage configuration of the weapons
locker. By simply
re-positioning the racks and brackets, the storage locker can be configured to
securely hold a
variety of dii~erent sized weapons in both a horizontal and vertical
orientation. The
configuration can easily and quickly be changed simply by re-positioning the
racks and brackets
as the need arises. The locking inner door 28 also permits the storage locker
to be securely
locked while at the same time allowing for a visual inspection of the locker
contents. This is
particularly important since it allows for a quick visual inspection without
leaving the weapons
unsecured or unlocked.
A specific embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed; however,
several
variations of the disclosed embodiment could be envisioned as within the scope
of this invention.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the
embodiments described
above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the
following claims.
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